Uma Bharti

Vorlage:EngvarB Vorlage:Use dmy dates Vorlage:Infobox officeholder Uma Bharti(born 3 May 1959) is an Indian politician who currently serves as the Cabinet Minister for Drinking Water & Sanitation in the Union Government ofIndia.Raised byVijaya Raje ScindiaofGwalior,she became involved with theBharatiya Janata Party(BJP) at a very young age, unsuccessfully contesting her first Parliamentary elections in 1984. In 1989, she successfully contested theKhajurahoseat, and retained it in elections conducted in 1991, 1996 and 1998. In 1999, she switched constituencies and won theBhopalseat. Bharati held various state-level and cabinet-level portfolios in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Tourism, Youth Affairs & Sports, and Coal & Mines during thesecondas well asthirdministry ofPrime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayee.AfterNarendra Modibecame the Indian Prime Minister in 2014, she was appointed the Minister forWater Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,and held this office until September 2017.

She is occasionally addressed by theHinduhonorificSādhvī,a respectfulSanskrittitle for a female renunciant.

Bharti was one of the most prominent leaders in the controversialRam Janmabhoomimovement of the 1980s and 1990s, organised by the BJP and theVishva Hindu Parishad.She was present at thedemolition of the Babri Masjid,and was later indicted by theLiberhan Commissionfor her role in the incident.

In the 2003 Assembly polls, she led the BJP to a three-fourths majority in theMadhya Pradesh Vidhān Sabhā(Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly). She defeated herCongressopponent from theMalehraseat by a 25% margin. She resigned from the post of Chief Minister in August 2004, when an arrest warrant was issued against her regarding the 1994 Hubli riot case.

Early life

Uma Bharti was born on 3 May 1959 in Dunda,Tikamgarh Districtin the state ofMadhya Pradeshto a family of peasants. She attended school up until the sixth standard. As a child, she displayed considerable interest in religious texts like theBhagvad Gitawhich led to her being seen as a "spiritual" child.She began to give religious discourses while still a child, which brought her into contact withRajmata Vijayaraje Scindia,who would later become her political mentor.She describes herself in her youth as a "religious missionary".

Political career

Uma Bharti honored Isrg Rajan at Bundelkhand Vikas Parishad

Rise to prominence and Ram Janmabhoomi

With the support ofVijaya Raje Scindia,Bharti became involved with the Madhya Pradesh state BJP while still in her twenties. In 1984, she contested Lok Sabha elections for the first time, but lost in the Congress wave that followed the assassination ofIndira Gandhi.In 1989, she won in theKhajurahoLok Sabha constituency, and retained the seat in the elections of 1991, 1996, and 1998.

Bharti rose to national prominence when she became one of the major faces of theRamjanmabhoomimovement alongsideL. K. Advaniand others. Her fiery speeches are credited for helping the movement achieve the momentum that it did.In December 1992 she was one of several prominent Sangh Parivar figures present at a rally inAyodhyathat developed into a riot that culminated in the demolition of theBabri Mosque.Bharti was indicted for inciting a mob to violence by theLiberhan Commissionthat probed the incident.Bharti herself denies that she incited the mob, but says she does not regret it, and is willing to take "moral responsibility" for the demolition.She acknowledges that the BJP reaped massive political benefits from the incident.In April 2017,Supreme Court of Indiahas been reinstated criminal conspiracy against Uma Bharti and otherBJPLeaders.

In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, she switched constituencies and won theBhopalseat. She became a cabinet member of the Vajpayee administration, and held various state- and cabinet-level portfolios, being Human Resource Development, Tourism, Youth Affairs and Sports, and finally Coal and Mines.

Chief Minister

Bharti was appointed the Chief Ministerial candidate of the BJP for the 2003 Assembly polls inMadhya Pradesh.On the back of a fierce campaign based on a plank of development, and helped along by her reputation as a Hindutva firebrand, She led the party to a three-fourths majority, 173 out of 230 in the legislature.She was elected as aMember of the Legislative Assembly(MLA) ofMadhya Pradesh

Bharatiya Janashakti Party

In August 2004, after only a year in office, an arrest warrant was issued against Uma Bharti in connection with the 1994 Hubli riots, forcing her resignation.In November 2004, she had a public falling out with L. K. Advani during a meeting at the BJP headquarters. This led to a suspension from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was revoked a few months later at the insistence of the RSS.She continued to publicly defy the BJP high command, insisting that she replaceShivraj Singh Chouhanas the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, which led to several show-cause notices from the party, and eventually, to her expulsion.

In response, Bharti floated her own political party, theBharatiya Janshakti Party(also abbreviated BJP). She stated that her party followed the ideology of the RSS, and claimed that she had the support ofMohan Bhagwat,head of the Sangh.However, the party had a marked lack of political success.

Re-entry into the BJP

She was re-inducted into the BJP on 7 June 2011. She was tasked with reviving the party inUttar Pradesh,ahead of theassembly electionin 2012.In 2012 she was elected MLA, from Charkhari Seat ofUttar Pradesh Legislative AssemblySubsequently, she was appointed to the position of vice-president along with twelve others, as part of a team created to guide the BJP through the2014 Lok Sabha elections.On 16 May 2014, she was elected to the Lok Sabha fromJhansi constituencyby defeatingChandrapal Yadavof theSamajwadi Party.She served as the Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation from 26 May 2014 to 1 September 2017.She became the Minister of drinking water and sanitation on 3 September 2017.

Political positions

FDI in retail in India

In late November 2011, when the Government of India decided to allow 51%Foreign direct investmentin multi-brand retail and 100% in single brand retail, Uma Bharti threatenedWalmartwith arson should they enter the Indian market.

Ram Janmabhoomi

Bharti is a strong supporter of theRam Janmabhoomimovement. She was one of the prominent leaders present during the riot which resulted in the demolition of theBabri Masjid.The Liberhan Commission that investigated the incident indicted her (among several other Sangh Parivar leaders) for inciting the mob to a riot. Bharti herself has denied the charges, but has called for the BJP to stop avoiding responsibility, saying:

"The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power twice at the Centre riding on the Ram Mandir movement wave. So it should not disown the movement and wriggle out of its responsibility for the Babri mosque demolition. I was in the BJP then and was present at the site on the fateful day. I am ready to face any consequence, even to go to jail,"

She has also denied the presence of any conspiracy by the Sangh, while stating that she does not regret the demolition, as it furthers the goal of building a Ram Mandir there.

See also

• Hindu nationalism
• Uma Bharti ministry (2003-2004)

External links

• Official Twitter
• "India's firebrand Hindu nun"–BBC Newsarticle dated 30 November 2005
• BBC article on Uma Bharti's suspension

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